La Cite D'Amour
by AshidoYukira
Summary: Yukira has moved to Paris to continue her studies in dance. Tonight is her first recital in France, and the first she will dance without any of her friends watching. However, to her surprise, she has a visitor! What could happen in the City of Love?


Author's Note: I just wanted to write a little story about how Taichi and Yukira ended up together. I've always kind of pictured it playing out in my head, but I'm only just now getting around to writing it. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Digimon isn't mine. Yukira is.

* * *

Every muscle in her body was quaking. Despite telling herself to breathe, Yukira could not ease the tension welling inside her. She continued her stretches, but her body still shook with nerves.

It's just like any other recital, she told herself. You know, except that you're in France now and none of your friends will be here for this one.

"Nervous?" Yukira looked up to see Avrile standing over her with a bottle of water.

"Excrutiatingly so," Yukira nodded. She looked up at her roommate, who was already done with her stretches and in her recital dress. She had pulled her bubblegum pink hair into two huge, poofy buns on top of her head, and her face was painted in intricate designs of pink and gold, standing in stark contrast to her deep ebony skin.

"Relax, it'll be fine!" Avrile smiled, showing off the gap in her front teeth. She was so proud of that gap, and so confident in herself.

"Ugh," was all Yukira could muster. Avrile sat next to her as she stretched, humming quietly. Yukira closed her eyes, trying to focus on the sound instead of her nerves. It helped, but only slightly.

"Alignez, s'il-vous plait!" The teacher clapped her hands and everyone began to line up. Yukira stood shakily and took her place, smoothing out the long turquoise dress she wore. She stood in position, right next to Avrile, who smiled reassuringly at her. Yukira swallowed hard as she heard the first note of the music.

Before she knew it, the curtain was up, and her body was moving of its own accord. Everything else around her disappeared, and all that remained was her and the music, moving as one entity. There was nothing else that mattered.

Hours passed, or minutes-time became irrelevant. Each dancer took their turn, until it was time for Yukira and Avrile. They would dance a duet for this show, and as Avrile stepped forward she joined Yukira's consciousness. Their bodies moved together, twisting and turning around and above and below each other. They wove their story in their movements with precision and grace.

Yukira was brought back to reality by the sound of thunderous applause. She was aware of her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She looked out over the audience; they were standing from their seats, cheering and applauding them all. A few roses were thrown on stage as well.

One by one, the dancers bowed, and the curtain was closed. A cheer erupted from the entire dance troupe-as was their tradition after a show. Yukira noticed her body was still shaking, but it was no longer from nerves. This was pure exhilaration and joy.

"I told you it'd be fine!" Avrile said, hugging Yukira tightly. She smiled brightly, and Yukira returned the gesture.

"Mademoiselles!" They all turned to listen to their teacher. "Zat was wonderful! You 'ave all worked so 'ard, and I am so proud of you!" In her arms were the roses that had been thrown onto the stage, which she distributed to the troupe.

Yukira returned to her dressing room to get changed. She wiped the makeup off of her face, hung her dress carefully, and pulled her normal clothes on. She let her hair down and shook out the tight curls, letting them cascade down her shoulders and back. Her hair had gotten long since she moved here; perhaps it was time for a haircut.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Mademoiselle Ashido?"

"Ouais! Qui est la?"

"You 'ave a visitor," came her teacher's voice. "Shall I let zem in?"

"Oui, s'il-vous plait." Yukira quickly straightened herself out as she heard the door open and close. When she turned around, she was greeted by the largest bouquet of red roses she had ever seen.

"Merci?" she said tentatively, unable to see who was delivering the flowers.

"De rien," came a familiar voice, completely butchering the pronunciation of what he'd just said. The flowers were moved to the side to reveal a beaming Yagami Taichi, dressed in khakis and a blazer.

"Tai-chan!" Yukira cried, throwing her arms around him. He lifted her off the ground and spun her around, setting her down gracefully. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see your recital!" he replied, grinning widely. "I haven't missed one yet. Why would I start?" Though she hid it well, her heart melted. He was right; he hadn't missed a single one yet.

"You flew to another continent just to see me dance?" she asked.

"What else was I gonna do? It would have been easier if you hadn't moved out here, but you did. So here I am!" He held out the bouquet again and added, "These are for you."

"Thank you," she said warmly, blushing a bit. She set them next to her mirror, which was covered in pictures of all of her friends.

"You looked great up there," Taichi said. His tone had completely changed; where he had been blustery and joking before, he now sounded sincere.

"Thanks," she said timidly. "I was really nervous."

"I don't know why," he said. "You always manage to kill it on the stage."

"You always manage to kick ass at a soccer game, but you still get nervous," she pointed out. He shrugged and nodded, looking around the dressing room.

"They gave you some nice digs," he said. "You upgraded."

"This isn't even one of the nice rooms," she laughed. "Seniors get to use those, and they're massive."

"Still beats a coat closet with a mirror hung in it," he said.

"Vrai..."

"Huh?"

"True. Sorry, it's hard to come back out of the French sometimes," she said. "I've started dreaming in French now."

"Oh no!" he cried out. "They've assimilated you! We have to get you out of here!" He ran at her, picked her up at the waist and threw her over his shoulder. He quickly turned and made a run for the door.

"Taichi!" she laughed. "Quit it!"

Just then, the door swung open. Avrile stood there, no longer wearing her dress but a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. She was sipping on...well, Yukira wasn't sure what it was, but it was bright blue and looked sugary as all get out.

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know you had company."

"Neither did I," Yukira said, still laughing. Taichi slid her down off his shoulder and set her on the ground. "Avrile, this is Taichi. He's one of my friends from Japan. Taichi, this is my roommate, Avrile." They shook hands, and Avrile smiled knowingly at Yukira.

"Well, I was gonna ask if you wanted to grab a bite with me, but I assume you'll have other plans," she said suggestively.

"Actually," Taichi piped up. "I was hoping you'd let me take you out for dinner."

"I thought so," Avrile said, winking at Yukira. "It's a date then! You two have fun!" Yukira blushed furiously as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

"Don't mind her," Yukira said. "She thinks she's being clever."

"Well, Mademoiselle," Taichi said, holding his arm out for her. "Would you care to accompany me for dinner?"

"I'd love to," she said.

"Great! It's a date!" And with that, they left.

* * *

"Wow, this place is actually really pretty," Taichi said. "It's so much less crowded than Japan."

"You should see it during the day," she replied. "The Champs-Elysee is a nightmare and the Metro is always packed."

"Well, right now it's not so bad," he said. "The food is pretty good, too."

"It is," she said tentatively.

"But...?"

"But it's impossible to find any good sushi," she said. "And there's no ramen anywhere, except that instant stuff they have in America."

"You poor thing," he said mockingly. "All you have left is snails now."

"Actually, escargot is pretty good," she remarked. "It just has to be cooked properly otherwise the snails get really slimy and chewy and..."

"I'm just gonna stop you there before I throw up," he laughed. "So, where to, my lady?" He held his arm out for her again, which she took.

"Anywhere, I suppose," she laughed. "I've got all night."

"To Anywhere, then!" They walked around the city, arm in arm the whole time. Yukira pointed out a few places to Taichi; the small cafe where she liked to eat breakfast on the weekends, the nice old Chinese woman's antique shop, the used book store. Slowly, they meandered down to the river.

Yukira leaned on the railing, looking out over the water. The lights reflected back at her and filled her eyes with stars. The night was becoming quite cool, and she sivered against the breeze, rubbing her hands together.

"Are you cold?" Taichi asked. She nodded and pulled her sweater closer around her. Another shiver ran down her body.

"Here," Taichi said, taking off his blazer and draping it over her shoulders. He smiled at her and said, "Better?"

She nodded and thanked him. They stood in silence for quite some time, just staring out at the water. Yukira smiled to herself; it was like a real date with him.

Probably the closest you'll ever get, she thought.

Yukira rubbed her hands together; she was still terribly cold. Taichi looked over at her, raising an eyebrow and said, "Still cold?" She nodded, shivering again.

He rubbed his hands together, then held them out to her. She looked at him, confused, and he gestured for her hands. Tentatively, she placed her hands in his. He squeezed them gently, as if pressing his body heat into her.

"Better?" She nodded, looking up at him. He was smiling earnestly at her, his eyes bright with a look she'd never seen him give her. Her breath caught in her chest. Her heart was racing. Her stomach somersaulted.

Slowly, carefully, he wound his hands around hers, lacing his fingers through hers. Their eyes locked, and time seemed to stop. Yukira no longer felt cold-in fact, she wasn't sure she could feel anything. She was certain she had died in that moment and was floating in the aether.

He pulled her closer to him, until their bodies were pressed together. He placed her hands on his shoulders and slid his around her waist. She was trembling, but it was not from the cold. Her face flushed red.

Slowly, he pulled her in, his face leaning down to meet hers. Gently, uncertainly, he brushed his lips against hers, as if waiting for her permission. She could feel his hands trembling nervously where they rested on her hips.

She pushed herself up onto her toes, meeting his embrace eagerly. His hands tightened on her hips and he crushed his mouth against hers, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment. She pulled him as close as she possibly could, as if this was the only moment she'd get.

Slowly, he pulled away, and she could see he was blushing furiously. Her own cheeks felt hot, and she slid back down to her flat feet.

"So you kiss on the first date, huh?" he laughed nervously.

"Only if I like him enough," she quipped. He smiled, relief visibly washing over him.

"So does that mean you like me?"

"A lady doesn't kiss and tell." She winked at him, and he smiled mischievously.

"Since when are you a lady?" he jabbed.

"I'll have you know, I wear high heels and fancy dresses on a daily basis," she laughed, feigning a haughty air. Taichi laughed heartily and placed a hand on her face.

"So does that mean another kiss is out of the question?"

"Well, that usually depends on whether or not the first was any good," she replied.

"Was it?"

"I don't know," she said. "You'll probably have to give it another go, just so I can be sure."

He smiled, his arms sliding around her waist. He lifted her off the ground and she cupped his face in her hands, kissing him again. The cold was no longer a concern.


End file.
